"Nayantara" a Girl Child Sponsorship Programme

The children of poverty stricken families, especially girls of our societies are neglected, disregarded by all means and deprived of their basic rights, and the girl children of rural areas are the most suffers. While working in rural Sundarbans Sabuj Sangha experienced that; majority of the parents are illiterate or poorly literate and education for girls is not so important to them. Most of the cases the girls are seen dropped out from the school after class VI, VII or VIII. Usually they stay at home to manage household chores, take care of younger siblings and aged family members in absence of their parents. Some of the parents of too poor families send their girl children to work as a domestic helper due to absolute poverty. Early marriage is an obvious event in the communities, resulting early pregnancy, poor health, malnutrition etc. In many cases the girls are exploited, trafficked and abused through several ways.

Sabuj Sangha felt the need of addressing such issues of girl children and adolescents and initiated the sponsorship programme “Nayantara” to provide backup support for education of those poor girls, who want to study, but cannot continue due to poverty and other factor. The organization envisages that; the adolescent girls must complete their education at least up to Class XII standard. In addition to backup support the girls are provided life skill education for personality & self development also made them involved in extra-curricular activities like; bratachary (dance for physical exercise), song, art & craft etc. also vocational education on specific trade based on their areas of interest. Besides; they are also supported with learning materials, nourishing food and hygiene kits. Sabuj Sangha believes; the efforts that have been taken through the Nayantara project will empower adolescent girls psychologically, socially also economically in future and a child of alliterate mother never be illiterate.

During the last few months most of the girls have developed their educational and psychological statuses and were observed happy joining the programme. They are regular attending coaching classes, life skill education sessions and extra-curricular activities. The girl Namita Mondal likes the subject mathematics and wants to continue her study with mathematics. She obtained 76% marks in her last school examination.

In general, most of the girls are very much interested to learn computer; they attend computer classes regularly and significant improvements have been noticed among Moumita, Namita, Banashree, Angana, Shrabani, Suchitra, Debi and Suparna. Previously Mondal was too poor in Geography but after joining the programme she performed good and secured 72% mark. There are 5/6 girls who have interest in handicraft and needle work. Birth day of Suchitra Jana has been celebrated together with all the adolescent girls.

Nikki is a girl of 14 years, lives with her parents and one elder sister and two younger brother and sister in Turturi T.G Division of Alipurduar district of West Bengal. Her father Binod has education up to class IV standard and he is a labour. Her mother Anita is illiterate, works in ta garden as a garden worker. Her parents earn Rs. 4000.00 per month against hard labour and have to maintain their six member family in extreme financial hardship. Nikki lives with her family in a small house in the tea garden, which is not their own house but the garden owner allowed them to stay in the house. The house is made of teen sheet and the condition of the house is poor as is very old and most of its parts are broken. They don’t have any drinking water source and household toilet in the house. The physical environment of the house and its surroundings is not good, but there is no option for them to shift somewhere else.

The parents of Nikki are not aware enough about environment and its cleanliness; not even know what is good or bad, also don’t have initiative taking care of their children. Her father is addicted with local made alcohol, consumes almost every day and often creates unrest and breaks the harmony and peace in the family.

Nikki is physically thin and malnourished. She never guided by her parents taking care of her health and personal hygiene. She is reading in class VIII in a local school but was very irregular attending school as she couldn’t follow lesions during class room sessions. Moreover she was not so attentive and interested studying in school. Her parents were also reluctant about her irregularity attending school, poor performance and her least interest for study.

In the meantime two coaching centres for backup support to the children like Nikki have been established. After knowing the fact and family condition of Nikki through survey, she was counseled to continue her study better way, necessity of education, its benefit etc. During counseling she became motivated to take backup support through the coaching centre. The intention of setting up coaching centres was shared with the parents of Nikki and advised them to send their child in the centre. Nikki’s parents realized the need of their child and agreed to send her to coaching centre.

Presently, lot of changes has taken place in Nikki’s life. She became regular attending both coaching centre and her school and was found interested in her study. Nikki is getting tuition support preparing her home tasks, improving her general knowledge and involved in extra-curricular activities. She is also getting nutritional supplementation in the coaching centre and improvement in her health status has been observed. Nikki desires to help the poor people and wants to become an example in her community.